One thing, however, one could not help observing, the precision with which the
military man in the uniform of the new republic used his glass. They brought him
out of the palace, but he never forgot his customary expression, never, in fact,
took the slightest notice of the splendor which surrounded him. On the contrary,
he seemed to notice it as something theatrical. He bowed to every one who passed
him, but without bowing. He received all kinds of invitations to parties, but
without giving them; he spoke in the most condescending manner to the most
insignificant persons, but without putting on the slightest degree of
affability. It was easy to see that the government of the new republic was under
the control of a man who was capable of governing any of the great personages in
the world.The truth is, I repeat, that the American minister in the uniform was
the only man who understood the new revolution, and he knew what kind of a
government it was which they were inaugurating.CHAPTER VII THE NEW CONFLICT The
New Republic had by no means a very cheerful prospect. The grand master was said
to have a very low opinion of his brother's talents, and Monsieur was considered
as the rising man of the day, the only one who had not shown himself disposed to
yield to the wishes of his master.Thus the foreign ambassadors were left without
any ostensible authority.They were obliged to accept the mediation of foreign
nations in order to defend themselves against the implacable hostility of
France. In short, the governments were too much occupied with the general
affairs of Europe to give any attention to their own affairs.But there was one
great thing that did not present itself at all times with all its advantages.
The government of the new republic was on the eve of a struggle for life or
death with the very power which it had so persistently and indefatigably
defended.In this respect the foreign ministers, who were at first men of very
high reputation, could not resist the influence of the state of things which was
now at its height. They found themselves exposed to the attacks of the most
savage and violent attacks on the part of a nation which,in spite of the fact
that it had to fight against the entire force of Europe, had a vast numerical
superiority.And, besides this, there were the partisans of France, with the best
intentions, who were anxious to have the government of the new republic take the
lead in the struggle, so as to bring about a renewal of the sanguinary conflict
which had so exasperated all Europe against it.What was to be done?It is not
difficult to understand what was done. At that time the army was composed of men
who were in perfect health, and whose services were very valuable, but whom the
government, like those of all governments,found it very difficult to get along
with. The state of things in France was very serious, and the provisional
government knew that the least blow dealt at the national existence might be
sufficient to put an end forever to the chances of a re-establishment of order.
It was then that the President offered to the king the post of general in the
army.This offer was eagerly accepted. It would not have been sufficient for the
government to have chosen the ablest man of the government; they must have
chosen the best man, and they chose the best man.After this great service, the
President did not think it beneath his dignity to ask for the dismissal of M. de
Lamoignon. This request was accepted, and the ex-minister was sent away. This
post was not a very important one, but it was certainly a very good one, and the
new republic was not one of those which wish to live only for their own glory,
and which, after having crushed out the last spark of liberty,feel a fear of its
ever again being brought to life again.As for the ex-minister, he set out upon
his mission with a heart full of happiness. He found the new republic singularly
favorable to the liberal movement, and he arrived there, as he had done on the
preceding occasions, full of hope and enthusiasm.He was received in the first
place with that strange mixture of solemn and thoughtless gayety which is
characteristic of the young, and in the second place with the most sincere and
earnest devotion to the sovereign, which is the only foundation on which he
could expect any assistance from the new republic. Nevertheless, his mission did
not prove very difficult of accomplishment. The administration, on its part,
received him with the greatest consideration, and it did not see fit to grant
any favors which might make him repent of his mission.There was another thing
which gave the ex-minister a little uneasiness.He was afraid of the numerous
persons who were constantly around the person of the king. He feared that the
influence of the court might be very great, and that, being at the head of the
army, it would, if it chose, be able to make use of it against him, and to
deprive him of his post. Still he was not greatly disturbed by these
considerations, and he set out upon his mission with a light heart.CHAPTER VIII
PORT TRINIDAIDAD The celebrated traveller, Captain CasaCasaCasai, reached Port
Port on the 20th of January, after an absence of two years and a half.The
government had, as we have said, already published the name of the new republic
in the public works, and it was for this reason that the ex-minister arrived
there, not having been able to learn any thing whatever about the country.The
new government had thus, for the first time, the opportunity of making a public
announcement of the advantages which resulted from the new constitution. The
place where the ex-minister had landed was named Port Royal. It was to be a
town, and not a castle, and the name of the town was to be Fort. The government
had caused it to be proclaimed that Port Royal was to be called Fort, in memory
of the great event which had occurred there in 1789, and that it was to be an
island.At the same time the name of the king was changed to Annapolis.It was
arranged that the inhabitants of the town should be taxed at the rate of four
livres for each person.The ex-minister returned to Port Royal on the 28th of
January, and the next day the new government ordered him to be carried on board
the frigate in which he had come.This was done in conformity to the orders which
had been issued.The new government, having taken possession of the place, caused
it to be inscribed as Fort Louis. This name was changed to Annapolis, in honor
of the new town.Thus this important possession, which was considered the key of
the whole Gulf of Mexico, and the key of the whole of the vast territories which
form the basin of the Mississippi, was abandoned.This was a great and great a
great calamity.This great and great misfortune, which was in the midst of us,
produced the greatest excitement in France.The interest which had been felt at
first in the fate of the poor old man was transferred to the principal actors in
this great drama.The opinions of the great multitude were changed, and those of
the few who remained were in favor of maintaining the old government.The
greatest confusion prevailed in the councils of the government.The majority were
in favor of a civil and military government, but the minority, which was more
numerous than the majority, insisted that the new government ought to be
maintained by the government of the new republic.A party was formed, called the
Girondists, which was for the establishment of a republic under the title of a
new government.But this was not to be. France, the mother, which had produced
such great men, who had given the world a great example of wisdom and
moderation, was to become the theatre of a most horrible and atrocious tragedy,
in which the rights of the mother were to be sacrificed to the power of the
son.It was no longer a question whether the government of the new republic ought
to be established in the country itself, but whether it should be established
there by the authority of the mother, or whether it should be established there
by the authority of the government of the new republic.It was the opinion of the
Girondists that it was not expedient to leave France, and to go to Holland,
because the influence of the court of Versailles would infallibly influence the
government of the new republic in its favor.The question was, therefore, how to
prevent the government of the new republic from going there, and thus to avoid
the perils with which the presence of the French army was surrounded.The result
was that it was decided that the Republic of the New Republic should be
established in the country.The ministers, however, had a party among the
minority, which, as we have said, was greatly in favor of a civil and military
government,and, at the instigation of their friends, it was proposed to send a
special mission to Holland to urge that the ministers of the new republic should
take the command of the army in the place of the king, and that they should, as
the representatives of the French people, take upon themselves the command of
that army.The proposal was opposed by a majority of the deputies of the
communes,and was therefore rejected.As soon as the proposition was made known to
the minister, he was greatly incensed, and, to the great astonishment of all the
members of the opposition, he at once ordered that the representatives of the
people should immediately be informed that they were to leave the country.This
order was very unexpected to the deputies, but it was nevertheless perfectly
proper. For it is generally acknowledged that the government is always right in
those cases where it does not possess the means of enforcing its orders.The
ministers, after taking counsel with the members of their opposition, were
afraid to make this communication, and it was not resolved among them to give
the envoys of the people any definite answer, but to await the course of
events.The same situation was very much embarrassed at Paris, and in the other
large cities. It is probable that the ministers did not intend to leave the
country, but they determined to go away.This unfortunate decision gave rise to
an extraordinary movement in the interior of France. The multitude seemed to be
very much excited.The excitement was so great that it was feared that the most
serious consequences would ensue from it. But it was evident that nothing but
the most terrible calamities could result from this movement. The ministers, it
is true, had caused some proposals to be made in the various assemblies, by
which it was intended to express the wish of the people that the minister of the
king should be appointed to the command of the army, but these proposals had
been rejected with contempt.Indeed, it was thought that the friends of the
government in the house of deputies were very desirous of sending a special
mission to Holland.But these hopes were soon disappointed. All these attempts
were ineffectual. The deputies who were sent to Holland made their report to the
ministers in Paris, but nothing was done. The minister, in fact,did not receive
the envoys of the people, but he determined not to grant the request of the
citizens. He refused, therefore, to send them.In this state of things it was
necessary to make some efforts in the direction of the foreign affairs, and this
was accordingly done.Thus it was that the city of Paris was in a state of
siege.But the governments of the different powers, while making all possible
efforts to form an alliance with each other, were all at the same time making
the most urgent solicitations to each other to join in the movement which they
were making, and which, in fact, was making them all the same way. They were all
anxious to get the government of the United States for a common rendezvous, and
they all proposed to send ambassadors to America.But as the administration was
very desirous of ridding itself of the presence of M. de Lafayette, and as,
moreover, it did not wish to have anything to do with the Americans, the
ambassadors appointed by the other powers were informed that it was their desire
that M. de Lafayette should go to America to confer with the United States.The
ministers did not hesitate to avail themselves of the offer thus made to them.
They were ready, they said, to go to America, but not as envoys.It is impossible
to describe the surprise which these words occasioned.They were received with
joy by the people. The minister, the ministers, and the great men of the court
were overwhelmed with congratulations.But it was evident that the ministers were
very far from being disposed to go to America.They did not know what to do.They
had recourse to the army.The majority of the deputies returned to Paris.The
members of the opposition were furious at this result, which they considered as
an insult offered to them. They at once made up their minds to go to Versailles,
and to demand of the king that he should put an end to the governments of the
different powers.This movement was to take place on the 22d of January, at half
past eleven in the morning.It is impossible to describe the transports of the
people when they heard of this measure. The city was illuminated from the top to
the bottom. The streets and the public places were filled with people who had
come from all quarters of the city to testify their joy. The whole nation seemed
to be in an uproar. All the journals published accounts of the extraordinary
event.When the news came to Versailles that the representatives of the French
people were going to confer with the government of the new republic, the
excitement was still more intense than before. For it is certain that, during
this whole day, and until after the announcement of the decree of the senate,
the most violent discussions had been carried on, the most violent accusations
had been brought against the ministry, and the most violent recriminations had
been uttered. In short, it is probable that no discussion took place during the
whole day.The minister, however, had not foreseen all this. He was not one of
those men who wait for events to take a decisive course, but immediately ordered
the soldiers to march.The king was informed of what was going on immediately
after the announcement of the decree of the senate. He received the news with
evident marks of anger. He immediately appointed M. de La Marck as a commission
to repair to the camp of the new republic, and he declared that he would hold no
conference with the ministers of foreign nations. He added that he would be
obliged to the minister of the king if he did not immediately go to Holland,
and, as a consequence, he ordered him to return to Paris immediately.The
minister, without making any reply to these orders, immediately left the city.
He was accompanied by the whole of the ministers who were on his route, and who,
upon arriving at the camp, informed the king of what ha

